Chapter 24
Do Not Be Envious of the Wicked[a]
1 Do not be envious of the wicked
or desire to be in their company.
2 For their hearts scheme of violence,
and their lips speak only of mischief.
3 By wisdom a house is built;
by understanding it is made secure.
4 By knowledge its rooms are filled
with rare and desirable riches of all kinds.
5 A wise man is mightier than a strong man,
and a man of knowledge prevails over one who has strength.
6 For you wage war by wise guidance,
and victory depends on a host of counselors.
7 Wisdom is too lofty for a fool;
at the city gate he does not open his mouth.[b]
8 Anyone who plans to do evil
earns a reputation for intrigue.
9 The intrigues of fools are sinful,[c]
and men find the scoffer abhorrent.
10 If you lose heart in time of adversity,
your strength will indeed be limited.
11 [d]Rescue those who are being led away to death
and save those who are on their way to execution.
12 If you say, “I do not know this man,”
will he who tests the heart not perceive it?
He who is the guardian of your soul knows it,
and he will repay you as your deeds deserve.
13 Eat honey,[e] my son, for it is good,
and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to the taste.
14 In much the same manner
will wisdom be sweet to your soul.
If you find it, you will have a future,
and your hope[f] will not be cut off.
15 Do not lie in wait at the home of a righteous man;
do not raid his dwelling.
16 For a righteous man falls seven times[g] and rises again,
but the wicked stumble into calamity.
17 Do not be glad when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart exult,
18 for fear that the Lord will be displeased at the sight
and withdraw his wrath from your enemy.
19 Do not become outraged about evildoers
or be envious of the wicked.[h]
20 For they will have no tomorrow;
the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
21 My son, fear the Lord and fear the king;[i]
avoid those who rebel against them.
22 For disaster will strike them suddenly,
and who knows what ruin will afflict them and their friends?[j]
Other Sayings of the Wise[k]
23 [l]These also are sayings of the wise:
To show partiality in judgment
is an invidious act.
24 Whoever says to the wicked, “You are innocent,”
will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.
25 But those who convict the evildoer will fare well,
and they will be blessed with prosperity.
26 Anyone who offers an honest answer
gives a kiss on the lips.
27 Plan what you want outside
and make everything ready on the land;
once you have done this,
you can go forth and build your house.
28 Never be a witness against your neighbor without good reason
or deceive with your lips.
29 Never say, “I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay him back for what he has done.”
I Passed by the Field of a Lazy Idler . . .[m]
30 I passed by the field of a lazy idler,[n]
by the vineyard of a man without sense.
31 I saw that it was completely overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with weeds,
and its stone wall was broken down.
32 And as I gazed at it and reflected,
I drew this lesson from the sight:
33 a little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the arms to rest,
34 and poverty will come upon you like a thief,
and want will assail you like an armed warrior.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 24:1 Evildoers make others envious; every moral teacher must show that, in one way or another, evil does not pay, that it is a pathway to death. Faced with the lure of desires that are easily available but dishonest, they must show the human and spiritual value of good behavior—it is the sole way of approach. The teacher of wisdom devotes himself to this difficult task.
- Proverbs 24:7 Public business was conducted at the gate of the city.
- Proverbs 24:9 The intrigues of fools are sinful: see Prov 1:11-16; 9:13-18. Men find the scoffer abhorrent: because he is arrogant and abusive (Prov 9:7), and a fomenter of strife (Prov 22:10). See also note on Prov 1:22.
- Proverbs 24:11 One who can prove that a condemned man is innocent must try to save him (see Prov 17:15; Isa 58:6-7). [God] knows it: God knows us through and through (see Prov 16:2; 21:2; Ps 94:9-11).
- Proverbs 24:13 Honey: i.e., wisdom, which is the honey of the soul.
- Proverbs 24:14 Wisdom is sweet to the soul by bringing nourishment and healing to it (see Prov 16:24). Future . . . hope: see Prov 23:18; Pss 9:19; 37:37; 73:24; Jer 29:11.
- Proverbs 24:16 Seven times: i.e., many times (see Prov 6:16; Job 5:19 and note). Rises again: the Lord has promised to come to the aid of the righteous (see Pss 34:20; 37:24; Mic 7:8). The wicked stumble into calamity: see Prov 24:22; 4:19; 6:15; 11:3, 5; Pss 1:6; 37:13, 20; 119:155; 146:9.
- Proverbs 24:19 This verse is very close to Ps 37:1; see Prov 23:17; 24:1.
- Proverbs 24:21 Fear the Lord and fear the king: the faithful are to render obedience to the Lord and to civil authority (see Eccl 8:2-5; Mt 18:21-22; Lk 17:4; Rom 13:1ff; 1 Pet 2:13-17). Scripture regards the king as the punisher of the wicked (see Prov 20:8, 26).
- Proverbs 24:22
After this verse, the Greek text adds five verses as follows:
22aA son who keeps the commandment will escape destruction,
for he embraced it willingly.
22bLet no falsehood be spoken by the tongue of the king,
yes, let no falsehood proceed from his tongue.
22cThe king’s tongue is a sword, not some fleshly thing,
and whoever is handed up to him will be crushed.
22dFor if his wrath is provoked,
he destroys men with all their sinews.
22eHe devours men’s bones
and like a flame burns them up,
so that they are not even fit to be eaten by young eagles.
The Greek text then appends here chapter 30:1-14.
- Proverbs 24:23 This is a brief appendix written in the same style and spirit as the preceding collection.
- Proverbs 24:23 To the ancient counsels on respect for justice in trials and on prudence, a new one is added: evil must not be done (see Mt 16:12, 14-15).
- Proverbs 24:30 A splendid lesson about things that would also be a fine popular song.
- Proverbs 24:30 Idler: see note on Prov 6:6.